Edgar Alvarado is a working architect with a degree from the University of Maryland, and a Pour Your Art Out (PYAO) alumnus. The son of South American immigrants, Edgar and his younger brother Christian were raised with pride for their Latino roots; ethos to help others; and encouragement to excel. Both have an exceptional gift and passion for drawing that was evident from their early days in the AOB studio. Edgar always took pride in this community, but also understood his neighbors’ perceived lack of safety due to gang-tagging and graffiti found throughout their housing complex. This was the issue that he and other area youth tackled through a public art project in their culturally-rich neighborhood.

Natasha Espada, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, is the founder and Principal of STUDIO ENÉE architects. She has over 25 years of design and construction expertise in both renovation and new construction for institutional, civic, cultural, and commercial clients. Natasha was the 2020 President of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA)/AIA and co-chair of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice Task Force. She has been a speaker on Equity and Practice at the AIA Grassroots Conference in Washington, D.C., AIA Connecticut’s Equity Summit, and a juror for the 2021 AIA Impact Awards. Natasha is an active member of the BSA’s Women’s Principal's group, a presenter at the AIA Women’s Leadership Summit, the curator of the WID exhibit: Urban Interventions: Women Designing in Boston, and part of the 2022 AIA Puerto Rico Women in Architecture Exhibit. Natasha was an Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University and a design critic/lecturer at Harvard GSD, MIT, Yale, Wentworth, MassArt, Roger Williams, Auburn, and the BAC. She is a member of the Town of Needham's Planning Board, Climate Action Plan Committee, Co-Chair of Needham's Affordable Housing Planning Group, and Board Member for Needham United Against Racism. Natasha is a graduate of the University of Florida, holds a Master’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia with a certificate in American Urbanism, and, in 2021, was awarded an honorary doctorate from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Phil Bernstein is an architect, technologist and educator who has taught at the School of Architecture since 1988 and where he received his B.A (honors) and M.Arch. He was formerly a Vice President at Autodesk where he was responsible for setting the company’s future vision and strategy for BIM technology as well as cultivating and sustaining the firm’s relationships with strategic industry leaders and associations. Prior to Autodesk Phil was a principal at Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects where he managed many of the firm’s most complex commissions. He is the author of Architecture | Design | Data – Practice Competency in the Era of Computation (2018) and co-editor of Building (In) The Future: Recasting Labor in Architecture (2010 with Peggy Deamer), and consult, speaks and writes extensively on technology, practice and project delivery. He is a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council and former Chair of the AIA National Contract Documents Committee.

Rohan A. Freeman, PE, LS is President and CEO of Hartford-based, multi-disciplinary engineering firm Freeman Companies.   Rohan, an accomplished mountaineer, founded the company shortly after summiting Mount Everest with a promise to clients to “Elevate Your Expectations”.  This award-winning, integrated engineering, design, and environmental services practice has led several significant infrastructure and development projects.  The company has thrived since its inception twelve years ago - in 2009 - allowing Rohan to subsequently launch 7 Summits Realty in 2014 and 7 Summits Construction in 2016.  The success of the Freeman enterprise has enabled it to advance several major social responsibility goals.

Rohan is a popular motivational speaker and board member of multiple community and charitable organizations, including Connecticut Landmarks, The Bushnell, the University of Saint Joseph, the Connecticut Business and Industries Association and national board of Outward Bound where he serves as Vice Chair.

Most recently, Governor Lamont appointed Mr. Freeman to serve on the Governor’s Workforce Council, tasked with setting strategy and policy for the state’s Pre-K through retirement workforce pipeline, and to serve as the prime coordinator for businesses, educators, trainers, state agencies, state workforce boards, non-profits, and others.